ISLAMABAD — Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi marked Kashmir Martyrs’ Day with a strong condemnation of India’s ongoing human rights violations in occupied Kashmir, paying tribute to the 22 Kashmiri martyrs who laid down their lives on July 13, 1931 in defiance of tyranny.
In a statement issued Saturday, Naqvi said the brutal oppression faced by Kashmiris under Indian rule mirrors the violent legacy of the Dogra regime, calling both eras “two faces of the same injustice.”
He emphasised that the martyrs, who were gunned down while defending the sanctity of the call to prayer (Azan), remain symbols of unwavering resistance.
“Their blood ignited a movement that refuses to die,” Naqvi said. “No power on earth can silence the Kashmiri cry for freedom.”
Criticising India’s rejection of mediation offers, including one from U.S. President Donald Trump, Naqvi said New Delhi’s refusal reflects its aggressive and intransigent mindset, which continues to fuel the region’s instability.
He further accused the Modi government of suppressing identity, belief, and opinion in occupied Kashmir, calling it a “state-sponsored assault on human dignity.”
Reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering support, Naqvi pledged continued political, diplomatic, and moral backing for the Kashmiri people in their struggle for the right to self-determination, as enshrined in international law.
“Pakistan will always stand as the voice and shield of the Kashmiri people,” he declared.
Kashmir Martyrs’ Day is observed annually to honour those who died resisting the Dogra regime’s oppression. Their legacy, Naqvi said, lives on in every Kashmiri who continues the fight for justice and freedom.
